Oilsands worker killed on eve of Day of Mourning

This year’s Day of Mourning to recognize workers killed on the job comes just days after an Oilsands worker died on the job, the second one this year.

“With great sadness we report the death of a member in a workplace facility,” Unifor Local 707A Secretary-Treasurer Angela Adams wrote in a letter to members of the Fort McMurray local.

Shane Daye, 27, who grew up in Fort MacMurray, was killed April 20 in an area that contained electrical panels. The Suncor employee had just earned his journeyperson electrical ticket.

“Every year, hundreds of thousands suffer injury or illness because of their working conditions,” Unifor National President Jerry Dias said in a recent letter to Unifor locals across the country. “And some of these workers die on the job.”

Dias is urging Unifor leaders and activists to actively support Day of Mourning observances in their communities on April 28, often organized by local labour councils.

“Let us collectively ensure that this year’s Day of Mourning observances sends a strong message to all governments of their obligation and responsibility to strongly enforce health and safety laws and regulations,” Dias wrote.

“We need to tell our elected politicians we want action and we intend to support only those who will give us this commitment.”

There were 977 on-the-job deaths in Canada in 2012, a 29 per cent increase since 1993 Saskatchewan and Yukon had the highest per-capita death rates.

Women are far more likely than men to be killed in the workplace by firearms.

There were 245,365 workplace injuries across Canada in 2012 that were serious enough to force people to stop working.

For more information regarding the day of mourning see the links below: